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Repositioning Women through Cooperatives and Dynamics of Social Inclusion

Repositioning Women through Cooperatives and Dynamics of Social Inclusion: An Indian Perspective
Bishnu Mohan Dash1

Abstract
The term women’s empowerment has always been a subject of discussion among academicians, development practitioners and policy makers particularly after the failure of trickle down theory implemented during India’s planned development programmes which could not benefit women equally along with men. Further, the Indian patriarchal social structure based on power and control has provided glass ceiling for women and prevented them from making their rightful contributions to the social development. Despite plethora of developmental measures and constitutional legal guarantees, women have lagged behind in almost all sectors. In this context, cooperatives are emerging as a powerful instrument for gender mainstreaming and integrating women into the development process. The role of cooperatives in the empowerment of women is contested in the Indian context; however, several studies show that it has provided women the necessary space and support for promoting economic self-reliance, developing self-confidence, overcoming exploitation and taking effective steps towards achieving greater control over their lives. This paper puts forward how cooperatives have received extensive recognition as suitable institutional mechanisms for empowering the disadvantaged and marginalized women and enabling them to play a significant role in the process of sustainable economic development. The paper also highlights the role of cooperatives as economic agents of change leading to economic emancipation, developing leadership qualities, promoting financial and social inclusion, and ultimately leading to women’s empowerment by giving them the ability to make strategic choices in their lives. It also discusses the Government’s initiatives as well as opportunities and challenges for women-led



References: Chopra, S. (2004). Cooperatives: Emerging issues and challenges. Kurukshetra 52 (12). Dash, B.M. (2005). Impact of cooperatives in rural development and factors inhibiting its performance. A Review of literature submitted in the Department of Social Work, Delhi School of Social Work, Delhi University. Dash, B.M. (2006).Cooperative movement in India: Impact on Rural India. Paper presented in the 32nd All India sociological conference, Chennai. Dash, B.M. (2007).Entrepreneurship through cooperatives: A suitable vehicle for sustainable development of women. Women’s link 13(2). Dash, B.M. (2009).Women’s empowerment and cooperatives in India: The vital connections. NCDC Bulletin (Vol.43, No.5). New Delhi: National Cooperative Development Corporation. 32 Repositioning Women through Cooperatives and Dynamics of Social Inclusion Dash, B.M. & Dash, M. (2010).Women’s empowerment through cooperatives: A social work perspective. BSSS Journal of Social Work (Issue 1 Vol.2, 2010). Dash, B.M., Behera, C. & Dash, M. (2010). Women’s empowerment through human rights education: Emerging issues, challenges and implications for intervention. In S.P.Singh et al. (Eds.), Human Rights and Peace Education. New Delhi: APH Publication Corporation. Dash, B.M. (2010). Impact of cooperatives in rural development. In B.M. Dash (Ed.), Rural Development in India. New Delhi: New Delhi Publisher. Dash, B.M. (2011). A case study on Delhi University Cooperative thrift and credit society. Germany: LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing GmbH & Co. Indian Cooperative Movement: A Statistical Profile 2009. New Delhi: National Cooperative Union of India. Mamoria, C.B. & Saksena, R.D. (1996).Cooperation in India. Allahabad: Kitab Mahal. Malhotra, A. (2003). Conceptualizing and measuring women’s empowerment as a variable in international development. Paper presented at the World Bank Workshop on Measuring Empowerment, Cross-disciplinary Perspectives, held in Washington on February, 2003. Mittal, A. (2004). Cooperatives: Viable tool for socio-economic empowerment. Kurukshetra,52(12). Pankaj, P.K., Singh, A., & Roy, B (2005). Animal husbandry and dairying. Kuruskhetra, 52(12). Rapport. (1984).Studies in empowerment: Introduction to the issue. Prevention in Human Services, 3, 1-7. Rao, V.M. (1996). Milk cooperatives in promotion of rural economy: A study in Warana milk shed (Maharashtra). Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 51(4), 778-779. Srivastava, S.P. (2001).Gender justice and human rights of women. In Singh, S. & Srivastava, S.P (Eds.), Gender Equality through Women’s Empowerment. Lucknow: Bharat Book Centre. Singh, D.P. (2002). Legislation and women’s empowerment. Social Welfare, (Vol. 49, Issue. 4). 33 SAARC Journal of Human Resource Development 2011 Sharma, K.D., Pathania, M.S. & Vashist, G.D. (2003). Role of rural women in small scale agro-processing sector: An economic analysis of Samiridhi Mahila Processing Cooperative Society in Himachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, (Vol.58, Issue.3). Zimmerman, M.A. (1990). Taking aim on empowerment research; On the distinction between individual and psychological conceptions. American Journal of Community Psychology, (Vol.18, No.1). 34

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